Dumping-platform.



E. L. REOTOR. DUMPING PLATFORM.

APPLIU TI N 9 ,21, A 0 TUBMAN Patented Mar.7,1911.-

1i: NORRIS PETERS 60.. WASHINGTON. D. c. i

E. L. HECTOR.

DUMPIN G PLATFORM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. n, 1910.

1H5 mamas PETERS c0.. WASHINGTON, n4 cv ELBBIDGE L. R-ECTOR, OF SANSABA, TEXAS.

DUMPING-PLATFORM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELnRmen L. Rnoron, a native citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at San Saba, in the county of San Sabaand State ofTexas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dumping-Platforms,of which the following is a specification.

The invention appertains to means whereby the loading of Wagons and likecarriers is greatly facilitated, the purpose being to provide a platformwhich is so elevated as to enable a wagon, cart or the like to be driventhereunder, said platform being designed and so positioned as to receivethe load and provided with tilting doors which may be turned so as toeffect a discharge of the load directly into the wagon or other form ofcarrier located beneath the platform to receive the load.

The invention contemplates a novel construction of platform and doors,means cooperating with the doors to hold the same in horizontalposition, and adjunctive parts whereby the doors when released may becaused to positively move, the doors being limited in their movement andcounterbalanced to insure their return to normal position when free ofthe load.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyset forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of the specification, Figure 1is a perspective view of a dumping platform embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a view of the platform inverted or as seen from the lowerside. F 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of F 1, the dottedlines indicating the position of the doors when tilted. Fig. 4- is afront end view of the platform. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theoperating lever, the supporting standard therefor and the rod forsecuring the lever.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the samereference characters.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1910.

Patented Mar. "Z, 1911.

Serial No. 537,493.

The platform is elevated and is supported upon posts 1. Head timbers 2are placed upon the end posts and are secured thereto in any substantialway, as by means of cheek pieces 3 bolted to opposite sides of the postsand head timbers. Longitudinal timbers at restupon the ends of the headtimbers 2 and are bolted or otherwise secured thereto. Other timbers 5are spaced from the longitudinal timbers and parallel the same and arebolted or otherwise secured to the head timbers. The head timbers 2 andthe longi tudinal timbers 4i and 5 form the supporting structure of theplatform. Boards are secured to the upper sides of the timbers 4 and 5and form stationary sections 6 of the platform. Longitudinal doors 7form tilting sections of the platform and are adapted to close the spaceformed between the stationary platform sections 6. A beam 8 is providedfor each door 7 and is located midway between the longitudinal edgesthereof and constitutes the axis about which the door turns. Endportions of each of the beams 8 are made rounding to form journals andare mounted in bearings 9 secured to the upper sides of the head timbers2. Beams 10 and 11 are secured to the longitudinal edge portions of thedoors to stiffen and strengthen the same. The boards forming the doorsare secured to the beams 8, 10 and 11. The inner beams 10 are thickerthan the outer beams 11. When the doors are in normal position, that isin the plane of the stationary sections 6 of the platform, the outerbeams 11 rest upon pins or supports 12 projecting inwardly from thelongitudinal timbers 5. To prevent casual tilting or accidental movementof the doors 7 catches 13 are provided and are arranged to engage withopposite ends of the inner beams 10. The catches 13 are mounted upon thehead timbers 2 and are movable so as to be withdrawn from beneath thebeams 10 to release the doors 7 when it is required to dump the load orto be projected beneath said beams 10 to hold said doors 7 againstpossible movement. It is proposed to counterbalance the doors 7 so thatthey may automatically return to normal position after discharging theload and for this purpose the beams 8 are extended at the rear end ofthe platform and are provided with laterally extending arms 1% uponwhich weights 15 are adjustably mounted, so that the counterbalancing ofthe doors may be EIClJUStBCl to a nicetv to insure attainment of thedesired result.

To insure a tilting of the doors 7 when it is required to dump the loadan operating lever 16 is provided and located at the front end of theplatform and is mounted upon a standard formed of members 17 whichlatter incline in opposite directions and have their outer enos securedto extensions of the longitudinal timbers at and their inner or opposingends bent upwardly to receive between them the operating lever 16, whichis mounted upon a fastening which connects the upwardly bent ends ofsaid members 17. Links or rods 18 connect the inner end of the operatinglever 16 with the doors 7. lVhen the catches 13 are withdrawn fromengagement with the doors the latter may be tilted by moving the outerend of the operating lever 16 so as to cause the links 18 to movedownward, thereby imparting a movement to the doors, which movement willbe supplemented by the weight of the load. A rod or bar 19 is pivotallyconnected at a middle point to the outer end of the operating lever 16and its end portions are bent to provide hooks, which are adapted toengage the members 17 of the standard so as to prevent displacement ofthe operating lever when the doors 7 are closed.

A lever 21 is pivotally connected at one end with the rear head timber 2and has the catch 13 at the rear end of the device connected thereto. Arod or bar 22 is connected to the opposite end of the lever 21 andextends lengthwise of the platform in the space formed between adjacenttimbers 4 and 5. The front end of the rod or bar 21 is connected to oneend of a lever 23, which is pivoted at 24 to an arm projected outwardlyfrom the front head timber 2. The front catch 13 is connected to thelever 23 upon the opposite side of its fulcrum 24. Upon operating thelever 23 both catches 13 are simultaneously moved in oppositedirections, either to release the doors 7 or to engage with and holdsaid doors in horizontal position. The outer longitudinal edge portionsof the doors 7 are prevented from tilting downward by means of the pinsor stops 12. The doors are limited in their tilting movement by shortchains 25, the latter being secured at one end to the outer beams 11 andat their opposite ends to the longitudinal timbers 5. When the doors 7are tilted to the limit of their movement the counterbalancing weights15 occupy a position upon the outside of vertical lines passing throughthe axis of the doors, so that when the doors are relieved of the weightof the material the counter-balancing weights 15 operate to return thedoors to normal position.

The material to be loaded into a wagon, cart, or other carrier isdischarged upon the platform in any manner and the wagon or carrier tobe loaded is driven beneath the platform in position to receive the loadwhen the doors 7 are tilted, after which the wagon is driven off and thedoors closed and fastened so as to receive another load to be dischargedinto the next wagon or carrier driven beneath the platform to receivethe same.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artto which the invention appertains, and while I have described theprinciple of operation of the invention, together with the device whichI now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In a loading device, the combination of a platform comprising spacedstationary sec tions and intermediate pivoted sections, the latterconstituting doors arranged to tilt downwardly at their innerlongitudinal edges, stops applied to the inner ed es of the stationarysections to engage the outer edges of the doors to prevent downwardmovement thereof, catches engaging opposite ends of the doors to holdthem in given position, means for simultaneously operatting the catches,means for limiting the tilting of the doors, counterbalancing means forautomatically returning the doors to normal position after beingrelieved of the load, an operating lever, and links connecting theoperating lever with the doors.

2. In a loading device, the combination of a. platform comprising spacedstationary sections and pivoted sections, the latter constituting doorsarranged to tilt downwardly at their inner longitudinal edges, stops applied to the inner edges of the stationary sections to engage the outeredges of the doors to prevent downward movement thereof, means forlimiting the tilting of the doors, an operating lever, a standardforming a support for the operating lever and comprising oppositelyinclined members, links connecting one end of the operating lever withthe doors, and a rod pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to theopposite end of the operating lever and having hooks at its ends toengage the members of said standard.

3. In a loading device, the combination of spaced stationary platformsections, pivoted sections arranged in the space formed between thestationary sections and adapted to tilt downward at their inner edges,arms extended outward in opposite directions from the axis of thepivoted sections, and 10 counterbalancing weights adj ustahly mountedupon said arms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELBRIDGE L. RECTOR. Witnesses N. G. WALKER, J. K. REoToR, Sr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

